PHYSICAL DISABILIT IES,

HEALTH IMPAIRMENTS, &

ADHD

Trevour Smith

SPE-526

Grand Canyon University

Children with physical disabilities and health

conditions who require special education are served

under two of the IDEA disability categories: orthopedic

impairments (and neuromotor impairments)and other

health impairments.

DISABILITY CATEGORIES:

*Health Impairment: “A chronic or acute health problem such that the

physiological capacity to function is significantly limited or impaired and

results in one or more of the following: limited strength, vitality or alertness

including a heightened alertness to environmental stimuli resulting in limited

alertness with respect to the educational environment. The term shall include

health impairments due to asthma, attention deficit disorder or attention

deficit with hyperactivity disorder, diabetes, epilepsy, a heart condition,

hemophilia, lead poisoning, leukemia, nephritis, rheumatic fever, sickle cell

anemia, and Tourette syndrome, if such health impairment adversely affects

a student's educational performance”. (MA DOE)

CATEGORIES CONTINUED

Physical Impairment: “The physical capacity to move,

coordinate actions, or perform physical activities is significantly

limited, impaired, or delayed and is exhibited by difficulties in one

or more of the following areas: physical and motor tasks;

independent movement; performing basic life functions. The term

shall include severe orthopedic impairments or impairments

caused by congenital anomaly, cerebral palsy, amputations, and

fractures if such impairment adversely affects a student's

educational performance”. (MA DOE)

IMPAIRMENT DEFINITIONS:

*Orthopedic Impairment: Impairment of the skeletal system- bones, joints, limbs, and

associated muscles.

*Neuromotor Impairment: Involves the central nervous system, affecting the ability to

move, use, feel, or control certain parts of the body.

*Other Health Impairments: A disability category in the IDEA Act under which a child is

eligible for special education; includes diseases and special health conditions that affect a

child’s educational activities and performance such as cancer, diabetes and cystic fibrosis.

(ADHD is also included in this category).

IMPAIRMENTS CONTINUED

*Chronic/Acute Conditions: Chronic conditions are long-lasting,

most often permanent conditions (cerebral palsy is an example)

where are acute conditions may produce severe and debilitating

symptoms but it is of limited duration.

*ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder): Diagnostic

category of the American Psychiatric Association for a condition in

which a child exhibits developmentally inappropriate inattention,

impulsivity, and hyperactivity.

CAUSES

Hundreds of physical impairments and health

conditions can adversely affect children’s education

performance. A few include: cerebral palsy, spina

bifida, muscular dystrophy, spinal cord injuries, epilepsy

and diabetes.

PHYSICAL IMPAIRMENT

CAUSES

Cerebral palsy: Permanent condition resulting from a lesion to

the brain or an abnormality of brain growth. Many diseases can

affect the developing brain and lead to cerebral palsy. Also

attributed to the occurrence of injuries, accidents or illnesses that

are before birth, at or near the time of birth or soon after birth and

result in decreased oxygen to low-birth-weight newborn.

Spina bifida: Congenital malformation of the spine in which the

vertebrae that normally protect the spine do not develop fully

PHYSICAL CONTINUED

Muscular dystrophy: Refers to a group of 40 inherited diseases

marked by progressive atrophy (wasting away) of the body’s

muscles.

Spinal cord injuries: Result of a lesion to the spinal cord caused

by a penetrating injury, stretching the vertebral column, fracture of

the vertebrae or compression of the spinal cord. The most

common causes include: motor vehicle accidents, acts of

violence, falls and sports.

HEALTH IMPAIRMENT

CAUSES

Epilepsy: The cause of epilepsy for approximately 30% of cases is identified from among at least

50 different conditions known to result in seizure activity, such as cerebral palsy; infections of the brain

or nervous system; metabolic disorders; high fever; an underlying lesion; interruption in blood supply

to the brain or rough handling of a baby (shaken baby syndrome).

Diabetes: Type 1 is caused by having insufficient insulin (a hormone normally produced by the

pancreas and necessary for the metabolism of glucose). Type 2 is the result of insulin resistance (the

body failing to properly use insulin), combined with relative insulin deficiency.

Cystic fibrosis: Genetic disease of children and adolescents in which the body’s exocrine glands

excrete thick mucus that can block the lungs and parts of the digestive system. May result from a

missing chemical or substance in the body.

HEALTH CAUSES…

AIDS: Caused by HIV which is found in the bodily fluids of an

infected person. HIV is transmitted from one person to another

through sexual contact and blood-to-blood contact.

ADHD: Specific causes are unknown, but many consider ADHD

to be a neurologically based disorder. Significant evidence

indicates that genetic factors may place individuals at a greater-

than-normal risk of an ADHD

CHARACTERISTICS/STRATEGIES

Parallel curriculum for students with physical and

health impairments includes adaptive methods and

assistive technologies for mobility, communication and

daily living tasks

CONTACTS AND AIDS

Students with physical disabilities and health

impairments come into contact with more types of

teachers, physicians, therapists and other specialists

than any other group of exceptional children.

TYPES OF STRATEGIES

There are Roughly Three main strategies teachers can you use to

help aid in the education of students with special needs

• Environmental

• Technological

• Animal

ENVIRONMENTAL

Environmental modifications are necessary to enable

a student with physical and health impairments to

participate more fully and independently at school.

These modifications include: adaptations to provide

increased access to a task or an activity, changing the

way in which instruction is delivered and change the

matter in which the task is done.

TECHNOLOGICAL

Assistive technology: Any systematic method based

on scientific principles for accomplishing a task or

purpose. IDEA defines assistive technology as both

assistive technology devices and the services needed

to help a child obtain and effectively use the devices.

ANIMAL

Animal assistance: Guide dogs for individuals who

are blind, hearing dogs to help people who are deaf

and dogs who can carry books or other objects in

saddlebags (helper or service dogs). Monkeys have

also been trained to serve as personal care attendants

for people with disabilities.

GUIDANCE/PARENTS

The aid and support of the students parents can prove to very

valuable as well, as a collective team, they can work with the teacher

Creating an Individualized health care plan (IHCP):

Part of the student’s IEP and can help state specialized

medical attention students may need.

REFERENCES

"Disability Definitions and Related Links - Special Education."

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and

Secondary Education. 30 Oct. 2000. Web. 25 August. 2014.

<http:// www.doe.mass.edu/sped/definitions.html>.

Heward, William L. Exceptional Children: An Introduction to

Special Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Pearson, 2009.

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